Dappa Dan

There's always one... CAC's return on late picks is what sets him apart. You neglect to mention his highlights, but seem to delight in mentioning his failures... Just because he selected Brown, Walsh, Ward et al doesn't make him responsible. Average players were held onto way longer than they should have been, but that wasn't his call... Calling Bruce an average player hurts your credibility. The guy is generally regarded as a strong footballer, and was SENSATIONAL value for the pick we took him at. He's won plenty of games all on his own. And taking a cheap-shot at Broady is gonna make you popular. The guy was a good defender. Was probably never going to be a McLeod or Chris Johnson, but was going to be ok nonetheless. Everyone's entitled to their opinions... But I guess you can't stop people from looking at the glass half full. Most of the league rates CAC, along with Bruce and many of his other picks... And while I don't usually prescribe to popular opinion, in this case there's plenty of reasonable evidence to suggest that, basically, you're ill-informed... CAC is a good recruiter. The first 30 picks DO NOT pick themselves, particularly in a weak draft year. Perhaps recruiting is not, as you say, a science... but there are many intangibles that a recruiter can pick up on only with experience. And once again, while the administration and footy department are responsible, there's plenty of evidence to suggest that recruiting was NOT one of our weaknesses...

It has everything to do with Liverpool!!! It's their theme-song! As far as asking who would care... I'd care, and unless I'm mistaken I'm a member... If we have songs and chants and themes that runthroughout the club for a year, ten years, the duration of a particular player's stay (Oooze for example) or 50 years I want them to be OUR themes, not ones directly borrowed from other clubs and organisations. As far as I'm concerned it's [censored]-weak that we are so desperate for something for supporters to identify with that we can't come up with something of our own. It's lovely that Liverpool fans feel a connection to this song, that it brings a tear to their collective eyes, but that is not MFC... It's not us. It's simple really...

It's the borrowing from another club/code idea that I don't like. Unless it happens naturally, it's a definite no for me.

Everyone's said it all... If it weren't for CAC (and ND), who's to say we'd have made the finals at all in the last 5 years?

Yep. I won't say I'm a fan of his, mostly because he doesn't wear the red and blue (though he barracked for us didn't he?), but this kid is, and has been for a while, something really special. When Johnno Brown starts to age and fade, or when he gets his next big impact injury, Franklin takes his place as the scariest CHF in the comp. That said, Forwards don't traditionally win too many Brownlows. I wouldn't be punting too much on him, but yeah, I think you're nuts if you don't rate him. Out of the Dees, I think Brock would be "facied" if you can call it that, as our best Brownlow chance. He seems to have a VERY strong reputation among opposition fans... But I don't know that he'd be within reach of a Brownlow with the list in the state it's in. After him, I'd say Bruce, despite all his misgivings in the last 2 years, deserves to be next.

Excellent report. Thankyou.

Confirm? How did you confirm them? Number 10 as Morton. That's great. My favourite number is 10, and it's also my own playing number... Couldn't get excited about it before. What about number 3?

Yep. I think his work ethic may be his worst enemy...

Yep. I'm right behind PJ, and pending a closer look at Meesen he's my number 2 behind White. Remember when he outran Acker on the wing this year?

Jeez that's shockin' isn't it....

The more I think about it the more I see Beamer as a HUGE key to any success we have next year. When he's not hurt, he's more than just a gutsy inside midfielder. He's the guy that can really hurt oppositions. So many other players do their jobs but don't hurt on the scoreboard... Also, he's been a non-event for about 3 seasons now... No-one will see him coming...

Onya deesrock.

Nash mate, nice to see you sticking up for the little guys... You're absolutely right. Fan, if you read my whole post you'll see that I haven't pulled a Y_M and predicted Shane will win the Bluey next year... As per usual the intention of my post was overlooked... perhaps you, like others, don't have the time to go through my posts... not exactly your fault I'll admit. Just to reiterate... Shane has the attitude, the courage and the kicking skill (if not penetration) to deserve to be given a shot at AFL level. Throughout the league's history there have been exceptionally hard-working players who, though VERY small, were able to carve out decent careers at AFL level. In the league, at any given time, there's usually a handful of blokes that fit into this category. All I'm saying is that Shane IS small and perhaps his legs don't carry him at Judd-like speed, but apart from that he has everything you'd need to be a nuggety inside player. Put aside the one or two reservations about his stature and you have a rookie with as much a chance as any other... Yes he doesn't have flexibility in the positions he can play, but then neither does Chunk...

He's a little ripper. While he may not be pacey, he's as tough as the day is long. I can scarcely imagine a player who is more poised in heavy, HEAVY traffic. He's a great deliverer of the ball to his forwards... If you judge him on his weaknesses he might not get too far, but the kid has strengths... Put simply, I love watching him play. Every time I rock up to Sandy I seem to have to decide whether it's him or Juice, or him or Summers, or him or Poyas for BOG honours. I know not everyone rates him as he's very little, but I know I do. That said, I won't be enormously surprised to see him fail at AFL level. A lot of guys play like stars in the VFL but can't hack the AFL. But if he does fail, it won't be from lack of application.

So we have no FB, our CHB and CHF have been at the club about five minutes and are still in diapers and our FF has played less than ten games... I remember seeing an article about 5 years ago that hailed the arrival of Miller and Rivers as the demons' new CHF and CHB duo... Now look at us. Rivers plays as our third tall and is brilliant... but most don't consider him a true CHB... And Miller... Well... the less said the better... Our Spine is a HUGE concern. We've got tall players on the way out in Neitz, Holland, White etc etc... And while we have a dearth of players that have the physical characteristics, not one of them has yet shown they have what it takes to be premiership KPP... Miller, Meesen, Jamar, PJ, Dunn, Carroll, Frawley... either they're too young for us to tell, or they're just gap filler. I have faith in Bate, who will play in a LOT of places. I like Dunn but question his KP credentials. Newton is a gem, but he's got a long way to go just yet. Rivers is a star, but as I said, what position does he play? Long story short, our midfield is maturing nicely... Our tall players are going to get the blame for our lack of premierships for the next 5 years.

I tell you what. Not too bad for a first up effort...

Where was Ox taken? Or was he just before the draft was instituted, a la Neita?

Alright RR, each to their own. I've seen enough of CJ at senior level and for Sandy for me to put him in the bucketloads category simply for his kick. He's tallish, can play footy, is smart enough... Maybe he's not TJ-like (too soon?) in terms of talent, but then who is? And his skill set fits the modern game nicely I reckon... Tallish, can play both ends, and ANYONE with a nice penetrating lovely shaped left boot should be given every opportunity. Perhaps it's the fact that he DOES fit into modern footy, being moulded as a utility, that has made him linger on one season longer than he should have. That and the fact that DB will take two seasons at least to clear out the dead-wood on the list left over after ND. I was happy with our delistings, and while we would have liked to get rid of him at the end of 2007, there were more pressing delistings to think about. But yes, ultimately who cares... 2007 will be it for him. He's been given opportunities... He'll CERTAINLY be given more with guys like Ward and Brown freeing up positions... If he can't take a place in the side and hold it with two hands, he'll be among the first delisted. And if he's on the chopping block you can be damn sure no-one will want to trade for him. Yep.

This last rookie/PS draft was the last REAL news we've had from MFC, and the last we can expect for a while. I understand the idea of getting their profiles out there, and it's important that it gets done, but there's never ANYTHING interesting in it... Every season it's the same stuff, and nothing ever really happens differently on the field. The thing I hate is that they never fill us in on who's on restricted programs. We have to go to training and do write-ups ourselves. This is actually when we rely on the cleverness, creativity and good grammar of demonland posters. It's their opinions, but more importantly how they express their opinions that makes demonland and 'ology a cut above the rest.

Bode and CJ. At opposite ends of the spectrum. CJ has bucketloads of talent and fits perfectly into modern footy. Bode isn't an attractive footballer at all, so which one would you pick to have played more serviceable footy?

I was thinking that actually. His shoulder muscles have the same circumference as his head. I can't speak for him but I know when I developed a bit of size around the rib-cage and shoulder area suddenly overhead marking became a breeze. He'll be harder to knock off his line in the air... Exciting stuff. After 2007, everyone seems to have him pegged as a tall midfielder. I do like how he can get down low and go go go, but I'd much prefer to see him become a tall marking option that has speed, a la Bate, mostly because that is what we need. In 2006 Bate got huge over the summer and suddenly became "a player." Hopefully Dunny can do the same.

Fair enough. Some good points. I defer some judgement here as I'm really about as far from the inner sanctum at MFC as you could imagine being, both figuratively and geographically speaking.

I'm not so sure a fixed position is the answer, but then I wouldn't call him a genuine utility in the Cam Bruce mould either... So how about this? I have problems with the idea of Bate as a stay-at-home CHF. I think he has some prodigious strengths (sticky hands, huge pace, strong over the ball, boooooooming left boot) but then he has some weaknesses that any experienced coach and defender will be able to exploit on a day the ball doesn't bounce his way (slow turning circle, not a big leap, is at times a touch lazy when he doesn't have it, gets crowded easily by team-mates on the lead)... Likewise with Miller there are positives (Strong lead and mark, big engine, works hard, is agressive, body is strong) and some easily exploited negatives (NO turning circle, horribly weak handball and below-par kick, gets spoiled easily, is predictable)... So he's not the answer either... Col is a tiny little bloke, but is a prodigious talent with very few weaknesses, if any. Now I'm not saying he's tall enough to play CHF, far from it, but the games he played well in this year were basically the games where the coach tried him in a few different positions, and the one he had the most room in, he stayed in. The more I think about it the more I see this as a good idea. One of the things that makes me happiest when considering a player's designation is how much it must drive opposition coaches nuts when trying to predict them. When I think of Goodes and try to think of a match-up in our list, I tear my hear out and in the end just give up and assume he's going to kick 3 and get 30+ touches because there's no-one in any position that can cover all of the different ways he can monster a game. Holland could spoil him, but wouldn't be able to keep up. Bruce could wear him like a glove, but he'd be out-marked and out-sprinted, Godfrey was the only recourse this year because at least he could annoy him... I like to think Sylvia, with his skill set, could start a game on the flank... By halfway through the second quarter, if he hasn't kicked 3 and set up a few more, you can move him deep into the pocket and tell him to take pack marks... If that doesn't work have him float around CHF and move Miller/Bate/Newton/Holland deeper forward or maybe into defence... if that doesn't work tell him to roam more in his flank position, go up the wing, pick up the loose ball and put his foot on the gas and try to out-run his man. Even if he can't out-run the league's best wingers his 60-metre kick will do the rest. If that doesn't work there's always playing centre if his body is up to it... he doesn't have to play a whole game there a la Jones/McLean/Moloney types... He could just play a quarter there, and if disaster strikes move him out onto a genuine wing position for a bit, swapping with Bruce/Wheatley... I would worry about him the most on a wing because he's a heavy-set bloke, and I'm not sure his legs will carry him the distance at high pace that Green/Bruce/Wheatleys' legs can... This last season he didn't play as much footy as we would have liked, spent lots of time on the bench, and when he was on the ground they tried him everywhere... And in many cases even while being changed twice a quarter he would still find ways to dominate. It's this nature he has to thrive despite not being settled that we can exploit, not necessarily to our advantage so much as to the oppositions DISadvantage... And the other thing is that if his groin goes bad again, mid-match or even more severely mid-season it's not like he's our full-time CHF/HFF/FP that we rely on. So in short, why restrict him to one position? In Yze's heyday if he stagnated for a few weeks in a pocket, he'd be moved into defence or onto a wing with great effect. I reckon this is the way to go with Col. I'd hate to see him own a position like a flank only to be tagged out of games later in the season when the opposition coaches find him out. Flexibility is the key...

Yep. He does seem ok doesn't he? But then people have forgotten how quick PJ runs. He's lightning over the ground... and what's more he runs when he doesn't have it. What I want to know is how Meesen goes with his footy brain. If it's anything like Jamar's, then I'm all for moving along the one who performs the worst out of the two. And while I agree that this guy may have a massive bee in his bonnet in regards to the Crows not giving him a go, I reckon he'd be hard pressed to be a BETTER trainer than PJ who works VERY hard... In short, I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do, but I'd be STUNNED if he played an integral part of the season. I reckon, maybe 12 games? Oh yeah... So do I. I saw enough in a handful of games last year for me to think there's a chance Col has turned the corner. His blind turn against the Dogs where he delivered it down Bater's throat for the goal, and his mark 20 out against WC in Subiaco were highlights. But this is IDENTICAL to the feeling I've had every season with him... the old "if his body's right, he'll be right." Again... pessimism reigns supreme... Um... Yeah... agreed....? My main reason for being hopeful next season is the incredible amount of upside Across the entire list. We were surprised a couple of years ago by guys like Bartram and Bate who came in and had impact when they shouldn't have. Last year we had only 6-10 players that could have played better than they did in 2006. This year the majority of our list has HEAPS of improvement in it, and in some cases they have proven they're capable in the past, it's just 2007 was their worst year yet...

Bub, it may seem like I'm picking on you this week, but I'm only highlighting this because I know you can take it without chucking a hissy fit like a little girl... Your post had credibility up until this point. Meesen is nothing... yet. We have the solid form in recent history of the other four, Bartram, McLean, Rivers, Jones... I defy anyone to predict they'll do worse than last year... But Meesen? Just because he runs a mean beep test doesn't mean he's going to be part of a reversal of fortune for the club. I'd put PJ ahead of him in the "likelihood to win games" stakes... And that in itself highlights how little I think of our ruck stocks after White. And as for Sylvia, he's a LONg way from where the other three are. In each of their cases, they have played one, and in some cases two COMPLETE seasons. eg Bartram - 2006, Jones 2007 etc... Sylvia just doesn't have the runs on the board and is as likely as not to succumb to OP for at least a part of the year. From what I hear he's already starting slowly. Well, yes. We ARE far from premiership material... but isn't everyone who doesn't win a flag an "also ran?" But yes, I get your point and agree wholeheartedly... I seriously doubt we'll win a spoon. In fact I'd put my house on us being higher than the bottom four.